Porcelain was first produced in Europe in Florence under the patronage of Francesco de Medici, grand duke of Tuscany (r. 1574–87). This ewer, one of only fifty-seven known pieces of so-called Medici porcelain, combines numerous influences: the form is related to goldsmiths' work and to majolica, the blue-and-white scheme is Chinese, and the floral decoration is borrowed from Isnik pottery.